Okay maybe that is a bit of a stretch but for the most part it's true. It's my senior year of high school so naturally I've begun to look at colleges and even taken a couple of physical tours at my top priority schools. I've known I wanted to be a Psychiatrist for some time now but I was dreading majoring in a hard (pure) science such as biology.

A couple of friends and I took a tour of Emory University, the Harvard of the south, where they essentially broke down what many schools have failed to point out in their information sessions (even the medical schools): Pre med, Pre vet, Pre dentistry and Pre pharmacy are NOT majors, they are Paths. That's right, what this means is that pre professional health is little more than a series of courses you must complete SOME TIME in no given order over the course of your undergraduate education to meet the requirements for Medical school. So essentially an art theater major who has a CONCENTRATION in pre-med can go on to be a world renowned physician, however they now have options in two very different fields. You can imagine my surprise upon hearing this. I can now spend the next four years of my life studying something that interest me while also fulfilling the requirements to help me reach my ultimate goal; I had cushion to fall back on. The path system can also help physicians specialize faster by allowing them to focus on other areas of study that will become similar in their life time. For instance, I want to become a Child Psychiatrist, but I also want to work on and study major neuroscience research. Therefore I could chose to Double major in Neuroscience and Psychology w/ a concentration in Pre-med. It sounds like a lot of work to complete but you would be surprised at how much you can make it work if you keep close and intimate contact with your counselors. The course requirement list usually follows as something like this: - One year of biology with lab -One year of General Chemistry with lab -One year of organic chemistry with lab -one year of physics -College level math -Biochemistry is highly encouraged* Now it has to be understood that I am not saying it will be this ideal at every school. This however is the structure at most liberal arts colleges because they encourage students to independently find their own way through college and study subjects that interest them. So next time your at the doctors office ask your doctor what they majored in. The answer may surprise you.